Spacecraft and space structures often require various layers of material to cover their outer surfaces. These layers serve a variety of purposes including, but not limited to, protecting the spacecraft from micrometeoroids and providing a protective thermal surface for the spacecraft. Typically, these layers consist of a single layer or blanket of material. However, multiple layered surfaces are not uncommon.
In the case of inflatable or expandable space structures, the presence and use of these materials pose several challenges. In inflatable or expandable space structures, the material must go from an un-inflated or unexpanded state, adapt to the changing size or shape of the structure, and arrive at the fully inflated or expanded state. One challenge in this process is the efficient packing of these layers while minimizing risk of damage to the material.
Typically, the material is folded over itself repeatedly until it sits bunched around the core structure. Outer spacecraft materials are relatively thick and, when folded, create excess bulk due to their bend radius. This excess bulk can affect mission success if the spacecraft can no longer fit in its launch vehicle. It also diminishes one of the important competitive advantage of inflatable and expandable space structures—namely, low launch volume requirements. In addition, by trying to tightly pack these thick folds, one may also subject the material to potential damage. This damage may hamper mission success by lowering the ability of the materials to perform their function (such as abrasion to thermal protection layers).
What is needed is a way of folding and packing the material that could be applied to a variety of shapes and sizes of spacecraft and space structures that allows the outer layer materials to be tightly packed while minimizing the materials' exposure to sharp bends and, therefore, damage.